Great Wall Owner's Forum - 4x4 and 4x2 Vehicles

Australia's first and largest forum dedicated to Great Wall 4x4's and 4x2 cars; welcoming Australian and International current/potential GW owners! Showcase your 4wd, post your Great Wall review, ask questions and share knowledge.

GW Owners Forum is a privately owned and operated online community and was the first forum dedicated to the discussion of Great Wall vehicles to be launched in Australia.

Great Wall is a registered trademark of Great Wall Motor Company Limited. GW Owners Forum is not operated by, sponsored by, endorsed by, or affiliated with Great Wall Motor Company Limited.

Quick stats

GW Owners Forum currently receives over 17,000 visits a month, generating over 150,000 page views. On average, visitors spend nearly 8 minutes on the site per visit and 88% of the traffic is Australian. As of late June 2012, GW Owners Forum had 1464 registered and confirmed members.

In 2009/10, Michael (emute) began his hunt for a 4x4 vehicle. He knew nothing about 4wd's and had (and still has) very little knowledge about cars generally.

He considered buying a second hand vehicle, but his mechanic advised that might not be such a good idea as given the nature of 4x4 vehicles and what they are used for, it could be difficult to determine the history and true condition without the eye of an expert; something Michael certainly wasn't.

He then turned towards buying a new 4x4 vehicle and was struck down by a nasty case of sticker shock - the prices!

The Great Wall Purchase Decision

Only two brands were within his reach, given the type of modifications he wanted to make such as adding a bullbar and canopy. One of the brands within budget was Great Wall. However, he was concerned about the lack of track record of the vehicles in Australia and real information was hard to find - most of the information on the web consisted of second hand stories from people who didn't own a Great Wall 4x4.

Michael then came across Wayne (mitcon) who had been documenting his experiences with his Great Wall V240 4x4 dual cab ute in great detail, including the many modifications he had made.

As Wayne had a solid background in 4x4's and mechanics/auto electrical issues, his knowledge and generosity in sharing it was a significant factor in Michael purchasing a Great Wall 4x4 single cab ute. It's a decision Michael hasn't regretted.

A Great Wall home of our own

A challenge still remained for Michael post-purchase - information. Great Wall owners were popping up in various 4x4 forums; but prejudices from some owners of other brands were creating a lot of static. It was a little like the situation in the 1970's in Australia when Japanese cars were initially shunned - and we all know how that turned out.

So - Australian Great Wall owners needed an online home of their own - a place to discuss the good and the not-so-good experiences we have with Great Wall vehicles, dealers and after sales support and service and a place that potential owners could learn more before making a purchase decision.

As Michael's career is based on the online world, including web development and marketing - the answer seemed simple. Build a Great Wall Owner's Forum.

Build it and they will come?

Michael knew launching a web site these days isn't a case of "build it and they will come". There needs to be a reason for people to go to a web site - and that's where Wayne's Great Wall experience, general mechanical knowledge and willingness to share it was so important. Wayne's Great Wall journey had also resulted in him making connections with some other Australian GW owners.

Australia's first dedicated GW community launches

Through the combination Michael and Wayne's very different but complementary skills, the idea quickly became a reality and Great Wall Owners Forum (aka GWOF) was born in September 2010.

Launched with very little fanfare, the site rapidly evolved into Australia's "go to" resource for all things Great Wall; thanks to the fantastic participation of its incredible community - other Great Wall owners and people considering buying one.

Who is online

Please note: Great Wall is a registered trademark of Great Wall Motor Company Limited. GW Owners Forum is not operated by, sponsored by, endorsed by, or affiliated with Great Wall Motor Company Limited. This forum has been initiated by Australian owners of Great Wall vehicles for the purpose of providing an avenue for discussion in regard to 4x4 (4wd) and 4x2 cars produced by the company; including the Steed, X240, V240, X200 and V200 range.